When my wife, Deniese, was having her babies there came a time when the doctor said, “Push!” What this meant was that the nine month blessing and ordeal was about to come to an end. Within minutes there would be a new life and that new life would be hers, ours and Gods!

There are still other times in life when we need to “push.” We need to push for justice when we experience injustice. We need to push for equal treatment when we experience wrongs. To let injustice, inequalities, and wrongs prevail and do nothing about them is out-and-out sin. And it is not only the wrongs we experience that need to be righted, but the wrongs experienced by others.

This is why the life of a believer is always lived on the cutting edge, that place where yesterday meets today and today meets tomorrow. You might even say that there is a primal urge that pushes yesterday forward to today and today to tomorrow. We do not usually notice the movement that is going on as a new day is being birthed, but we do recognize that without “push” nothing will ever evolve.

The other day I heard the story about the man who was asleep in his cabin one night when suddenly his room filled with light and God appeared. God told the man that there was work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of the cabin. God explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.

This the man did, day after day. For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock. Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out, feeling as though his whole day had been spent in vain. He began thinking, “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time and it hasn’t budged. Why kill yourself over this? You are never going to move it.” Convincing himself that the task was impossible, the man became discouraged and disheartened. He decided to just put in his time giving the minimum effort.

But for some reason, a reason only known to God, the man began to pray. He said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked. Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock half a millimeter. What is wrong? Why am I failing?”

The Lord responded compassionately and with wisdom, “My friend, when long ago I asked you to serve me and you accepted I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done. Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it. Your task was to push. And now you come to me, your strength spent, thinking that you have failed. But is that really so? Look at yourself. Your arms are strong and muscled, your back brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become powerful. Through opposition you have grown much and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have. Still, you haven’t moved the rock. Your calling was to be obedient, to push and to exercise your faith, this you have done. Now, I will move the rock!

Congregations, pastors, and leaders in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) – God calls us, just like the man in the story, to “push!” God will take care of the rest. Let’s be in a conversation with one another about what is worth pushing so we can make our congregations, communities, and world a better place for all God’s people.

Pushing-ly yours,

Ron Degges

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